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This is a man's world... Or is it?


The industry must work to help female employees realise their full potential


D The property will be located adjacent to the city's railway station


Sleeperz to launch in Newcastle Budget chain to unveil second hotel in October 2011


By Pete Hayman Budget hotel chain Sleeperz has appointed property consultants Robinson Low Francis (RLF) to help progress plans for the development of a 98-room hotel in Newcastle. Preparatory work is now


underway on the six-storey property in the heart of the city, which is due to open in October 2011 and will become the group's second site alongside its inaugural hotel in Cardiff. The Newcastle hotel will be


located on the site of the former Parcel Works at the


city's railway station and is in line with Sleeperz's strategy of occupying "irregular shaped sites" near transport hubs. RLF has been appointed by


Sleeperz to act as agent and quantity surveyor for the scheme, which also aims to capitalise on the growing trend in 'staycations' and efforts to attract more inbound tourists. Paul Chesworth, a partner at


RLF, said: "As the hotel construction sector continues to pick up, particularly in the budget hotel market, this is a great opportunity for RLF to strengthen its expertise."


London's hoteliers have seen occupancy levels for July increase by 3.1 per cent compared with the same period in 2009, according to new figures from PKF Hotel Consultancy Services. With occupancy reaching


London hoteliers continue to shine There was also encourage-


ment for regional hotels as a 0.3 per cent increase in room rate was the first year-on-year growth in 2010. PKF Hotel Consultancy


92 per cent and room rate also increasing by 21.1 per cent compared with July 2009, the capital's hotels saw rooms yield grow by a quarter to £128.35.


© Cybertrek 2010


Services partner Robert Barnard said: "The July figures for hoteliers across the UK are heartening. London continues to post positive results, as demand continues to strengthen compared to 2009."


espite changes in legislation that have done much to remove the barriers to gender equality in


the workplace, a career in hospitality can still present challenges for women. Whether it is long working hours, an


often highly pressured environment, or a male-dominated senior management structure, there is little doubt that


'staying the course' within the industry appears to be far more difficult if you are a woman. This is despite the fact that, according to People 1st, nearly 60 per cent of the industry's workforce is female, with the gender balance for hospitality managers being 50:50. Outside the workplace, traditional


views and practices around domestic arrangements still abound, where according to several recent British and American studies, women are generally expected to be responsible for 70 per cent of chores. Against this backdrop, Alessandra Alonso, Director of Shine People and Places, feels that "what British women manage to achieve in the sector is even more impressive". Since 2003 Shine People and Places has run its own research


in this area, and over the years the outcomes have been consistent. When asked about what may stop them achieving their full potential, women usually cite child birth and child care; organisational policies; lack of flexible working; and gender stereotyping as the most common. By way of contrast, however, a recent survey undertaken by


UKJobs.net found that two thirds of respondents, both men and women, preferred to be managed by men. According to the poll of 3,000 employees, women bosses are seen as difficult to work for, and nearly two thirds of the women surveyed and three-quarters of the men prefer to be managed by a man. So are there subliminal in-built forces at work which create


the barriers for women to advance in the industry? Not according to Alessandra Alonso who comments, "it is motherhood that creates the watershed between women who have and those who don't have a career in the sector". While a great many women work in the hospitality industry,


the key challenge seems to be the realisation of their full potential. Failure to address this problem, will mean a persistent difficulty in retaining women in the sector, resulting in a worrying loss of highly talented individuals at a time when the industry's growth forecasts remain buoyant.


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PHILIPPE ROSSITER is chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality (IoH). Leisure Opportuni- ties is a member benefit of the IoH, for your free copy call 01462 471913


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